Book Reviews : One False Step by Clive Woolliscroft*

One False Step by Clive Woolliscroft

[Ad-gifted] Do you love to escape into a period drama, but are sick of watching them on TV and would rather create your own characters through the clever descriptions you might find in a book?

Well, keep reading as we may just have the read you’ve been looking for. Published by The Book Guild Ltd, One False Step by Clive Woolliscroft is set in the 1700s and tells the story of a man named William Dunbar. A young son of a Scottish nobelman, who is desperate to fit into society along with the wealth that comes with it, however, he is struggling to find the means to do it, other than that of marriage. You follow his pursuits and challenges along the way, when he finally meets Mercy Grundy.

Keep reading and see what I thought of the book and whether you might like to get a copy of your own.

What I thought of One False Step?

William the protagonist is the epitome of selfishness. Throughout the novel his only outcome is for himself and how each action will impact him. He’s a strange protagonist, as I actually hated him. I know that’s a strong feeling! I found the book intriguing, to have been written in such a way that you really don’t want the protagonist (as well as Mercy who although important features a little less) to have a happy ending.

Mercy, on the other hand is kind and naïve. But in many ways this can also be frustrating, as you just want her to wake up to Williams nonsense and wickedness. But her character begins to evolve as the story moves on.

The book is intriguing and the filler characters within the story, are equally so. So much so, that you have a vested interest in their outcomes however small their appearance within the novel.

Set within Georgian era, much of the happenings within the story are believable to have been set in this time period. I often find writers slip up with certain aspects of their stories when they don’t accurately depict the time period or add in details that would never have occurred. Wooliscroft, however, is quite clever in the way in which he has incorporated the Georgian era within his book. He never gives too many details relying on your imagination to fill in the gaps, but still describes enough, such as wars or ways in which society may have socialised at the time, to create a good sense of locations and costumes.

Going back to William – he feels like an odd choice for a protagonist, however, Mercy seems blissfully unaware of the misgivings until quite late on in the book. Towards the latter part of the book, the dynamics begin to change and the thriller aspect of the novel takes hold. But not giving anything away, if you’re into an alternative experience when reading what may appear a romance, this is much more of a period drama mixed with mystery and thriller an aspect which made the latter part of the book more enjoyable than the start.

Where can I buy this book and how much does it cost?

The paperback copy retails for £9.99 from The Book Guild Ltd.

About this book

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Book Guild Ltd
Format : Paperback ‏
Number of pages : ‎ 304
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1916668928
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 22 x 14 x 3 cm

About the Author

Clive Woolliscroft is a man who describes himself as well over his eighth decade in age! He lives in Cheshire with his wife Sue and their dog, Bonnie – a Cocker Spaniel.

Having worked as an Army Officer, then later as a Money Market Trader in London, as well as a Solicitor in London, Hertfordshire and Staffordshire, in his retirement he decided to write a novel.

He first decided he would love to write one back in the 1980s when his had been asked to write a book on finance. He finally wrote his first novel in 2023 named ‘Less Dreadful with Every Step’ then his second ‘One False Step’ in June 2024.

His books take on the role of historical romances mixed with thriller aspects, reaching a wider audience than a straight romance perhaps would.

Review by : Lex Ward

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